Pain management
General Topic
Ok we are all getting older. How do you deal with joint pain ?
Use it or lose it!! Exercise and exercise...
Exercise, Ice and when needed ibuprofen(rarely). And LISTEN to my body. If joints are angry I either rest or back off on the workout.
Exercise & a whirlpool tub... oh, and a cold beverage or two.
joints generally ease my pain
I run about 5 times a week, my body tells me when to skip a day or two.
I take ibuprofen...probably too much of it.
Being sedentary is the worst thing you can do to your body and mind.
Please reference the threads about whiskey and IPA's.
loprofile...lol!!!
To the OP, it all depends on what’s causing the pain. As others have mentioned, staying active will help the joints stay flexible and lubricated. Naproxen’s an anti inflammatory that works well, although ibuprofen works well too.
If the pain’s caused by arthritis, tendinitis, etc, then it’s not that simple. I go in for treatment on my elbows every 6mo or so, and that keeps the pain manageable.
OTOH, my ankles are ate up with arthritis. Before I had arthroscopic surgery on both, I could barely walk. Although I still need a fusion, I’m doing 1000% better now. At least I can still hunt!
My wife has been dealing with constant pain from arthritis and sjogren's syndrome for the past 5 years. Nothing helped and it tore me up to see a once active and vibrant women slowed down by these diseases. A few months ago she started taking CBD oil. All I can say is it changed her life. It's helped my as a bow hunter also. I have tremors that makes things like writing impossible and keeping food on a fork difficult. Shooting my bow was frustrating because my accuracy suffered. I noticed a huge difference after a week. I don't know if it's allowed by Pat but if your interested message me and I can get you some info on it.
There's an herb that comes in capsule form called circumin it's awesome!
Ha! great topic! Have lower back pain, bad discs. Been thru one surgery, now prolonging spinal fusion. That's a pain I'm not looking forward too.
As an MD, I’ll say this: pain is way more complicated than you think. Here’s a good link. It helps explain muscle and joint pain. Pain is very nuanced. https://www.barbellmedicine.com/the-science-of-where-your-pain-comes-from/
Stay active Turmeric (no pills for me, I just sprinkle it on most things I eat)
Circumin is tumeric . It's great.
Lap swimming. Not as much pressure on joints as running or weight lifting and it is aniunbelievable aerobic workout. Am a T-11 Para and when first injured was on every pain medication known to man. Now I swim and literally take nothing but occasional Advil. If I go more than 3 days without my swim I feel it.
Surgery for a torn meniscus on Monday...
I am afraid it is the big A.
I've dealt with a messed up left shoulder since 2014 when I retired from the school district.was running a scrubber and slipped on stripper and got slammed into a classroom wall and landed on my left shoulder.got up covered in stripper and getting skin burns and left arm hanging.well,long story short,workers comp and school fought having shoulder fixed.sat across the table from school district lawyer basically calling me a lier.workers comp denied it.four year later after retirement still babying shoulder.can't afford to have it fixed on Medicare.ibuprofen and chrondotin and stretching and ice and heat when needed.
Mild exercise, no running, warm up well before any workout. Ibu and ice and hot tub or whirlpool. I get epidurals in my back and neck about 3-4 times a year. Other than that, I live with it. Of course, other than my back and neck, I only have problems with my knees, elbows, wrists and ankles. Well, sometimes my fingers and toes.
Physical Therapy has actually decreased pain in my bum shoulder (two partially torn tendons and a torn labrum). Doing the "right" exercises, and avoiding the "wrong" moves is huge.
Education and getting into a healthy treatment routine can be beneficial, IMHO.
Stretching and exercise. Healthy diet. Naproxen and ice when I need it. It's going to hurt to some degree no matter what I do. So, I try to ignore it. Mind over matter.
On the other hand back fusions,rods and bolts,two Achilles tendons snapped in the air force,right shoulder already repaired,left foot arch broken and cracks in foot bones.all stomach area meshed in and new belly button made from hernia surgery.guess im glad to be able to bowhunt at all.
I ain't getting old, I AM old ! Arthritis in both thumbs, both shoulders are weak, and I get a shot in my left knee about twice a year. When something hurts I use ice packs. If it hurts bad enough. I use Aleve. I have a cream for the thumbs but it just dulls the pain, and it's $100 a tube :-(
Have a torn rotator cuff, saw a Dr. and got a cortisone shot and all was good til I fell and tried to block the fall with my arm extended. Dock wants to see me in 6 weeks. hurts like hell to do anything sure can't draw my bow. Hope I don't need a surgery like I had on the other side! It was 6 months before I could draw the bow that time.
Indisputable that an active life style is important. That being said, what is worse - A. Joint Pain B. Lap Swimming C. Running.
Water and ibuprofen and in theory eating cleaner.
I prefer to release endorphins....which please the wife also. Win-win
OK, Bowsite.com is great, but for those of you looking to dive into this issue of musculoskeletal pain a bit more, here's an excellent and EVIDENCE-BASED resource: https://www.painscience.com/. I'm an MD, and I'm here to tell you that there is a lot of pretty bad advice out there, and a lot of it comes from physicians -- and physical therapists, and lots of other practioners. And I'm certainly not anti-physician -- hell, I am one. But you have to understand that the average physician gets very little in formal education on the "pain" part of musculoskeletal disorders. (We get a lot of education in how to find surgical candidates.)
If you find someone who says all your pain is from "mal-alignment" or "adhesions" and one little tweak here or there will cure you (including surgeons) I'd run the other way -- or at least consult this resource in the link.
Pain is way, way more complicated that we like to think. Stay active, stay STRONG.
Very true about joints for your joints. I have acromegaly(look it up) and my neuro surgeon recommended medical marijuana for the joint pain. Lots of stretching and exercise as well. Cut way down of sugar and stay away from starchy foods, these things will all help and drink plenty of water!! Shawn
Whiskey and rub dirt on it.
"joints generally ease my pain" LOL!
I expanded my health club membership today to include unlimited hydromassage. Going to give it a try on muscles. Does anyone have any first hand experience or knowledge with hydromassage therapy?
loprofile do you remembering being on the hydromassage couch or just on magic carpet rides?
Lose the fat! Don't measure your weight on the scale, measure the inches on your waist. Eat a ton more veggies, more wild game protein, and cut back on the shitty carbs. I hate yoga and I hate stretching but they are probably the two best things you can do for your aging body to regain flexability and eliminate most all of your pain.
Lift weights like a beast and do some sort of cardio. Mix it up.....swimming, biking, running, machines, whatever. Do something that sucks every day and you'll reap the rewards for years!
Might as well start a list. Right Knee has gone thru the outer cartilage layer. Left hip has bursitis and arthritis. Back L5/S1 junction was MRI'd as severe arthritis and disc degeneration.
Did 30 laps up and down the stairs and a half mile with 30 lb pack. Yesterday had hard weights workout and 25 minutes on aerobic machines.
I will keep trying, but the "use it or lose it" thing only works so long. Either the back or the knee is getting worked on next winter. Even so, not exercising leads to rapid loss of muscle and agility when you get to my age. Bourbon and meds help too.
you need to get onto joint food as in chondroitin/glucosamine, these substances help lubricate the bone joint.IF the joint is not damaged/torn meniscus or no meniscus and the pain is bone on bone grinding, which i doubt because you wouldnt be walking because of the pain,then a lack of lubrication in the joint does give low levels of pain.A torn meniscus gives pain when walking/running.Can give a dull ache when sitting around.
Just thought of this. There is a cream that is an anti-inflamatory. It is very expensive. But there is a generic band called Diclofenac Sodium Topical Gel, 1%. Need an Rx but it is about $14 a tube and does help a lot. My PT got me doing a 30-minute water program that is excellent. However, there is not one thing you can do cure any of it. When I first get out of bed. The first 20-minutes are torture. I do a series of mild stretching and hang tough until I can hit a hot shower. I also have severe peripheral neuropathy in my feet and don't know which is worse. Have a great day. I'm going fishing. I am trying to get my afishianado designation.
Good post midwest.
My prescription: 1) Eat a ketogenic diet. Done correctly, it is also an anti-inflammatory WOE and great for aches and pain. Eliminate soy and Omega 6 fatty acid sources like vegetable oils.
2) Lift weights focusing more on slow time under tension than max weight. Incorporate bands when you can. The stretch and control allows the user to really focus on the movement and the muscles/ joints involved.
3) Train your back. Most of what we do defaults to the anterior portion of our body. (Naturally, we are going to concern ourselves more with what is in front of rather than behind us.) However, this bias really throws our skeleton out of balance. Such is the case with many rotator cuff failures. Ask me how I know...:(
4) Stop doing the things that hurt. Knowing one's limitations is a wellspring of wisdom. I have a bum rotator cuff on my bow arm and I can nurse it along functionally for the most part but if grab anything out of the tool box in my truck bed while standing on the ground, I get immediate and lasting pain. So, to access anything in that box, I have to climb in the bed and work beneath my shoulders. Tedious but helps to keep me shooting.
5) Wear minimalist footwear. So much of what we put on our feet retards muscular development and bio feedback in and from our feet it ain't funny. Our feet are our primary shock absorbers and foundation of what we do as bipeds. Best to not remove them from the data loop in which they function.
Midwest on to something .........
For my arthritic shoulders I do strength training, band work, stretching every morning, and at night I often ice and take a couple ibuprofen before bed. In the morning they feel pretty good. I don't shoot very much per session. 20 shots would be quite a bit.
12yards, I have the same issues, I'm down to 10 arrows per session and focusing on every arrow as a "moment of truth" shot. (shooting 60# recurve)
All pain is not the same. I suffer from MS muscle pain for 37 yrs now. Plus arthritis in every joint in my body. I live with severe pain 24/7.
Norco pain meds did nothing to lower the pain level. So 30 days ago I stopped all Norco pain meds and went on CBD Hemp oil and almost pain free for the 1st time in 37 yrs. My only hope is it continues.
+1000 Deertick, many physicians, PT's, and chiro's have an extremely poor understanding of pain-science.
Be careful with the NSAIDS guys. I was prescribed Diclofenac for joint pain and took it for a year or close to it. Woke up this past April 1st feeling like I had a virus and at 3:00 that day I passed out cold. Wife called ambulance and when they got here I was awake and they started working on me and thought I had had a heart attack. They had me hooked to an ekg and I told them I was going to throw up and I fell into the bathroom where I vomited and diahrerra at the same time. Pure rotten smelling blood, both ends, and lots of it. They guessed about 2 to 3 units as I did it again at hospital and they ended up giving me 5 units back over the next 4 days. I had 3 clips put in my stomach and 3 more carterizations during that time. Had to stay in 9 days and will probably be off work another month or so. Also had to have a IVC filter put in which is supposed to come out in a couple weeks. I am 54 and only been in hospital for a colonoscopy. Always healthy til this. The doctors said this was caused by the diclofenac as I don't drink at all and rarely eat spicy foods. It's scary stuff. They said to never take an NSAID again especially diclofenac. I know people that have taken it for years with no problem but I didn't get on to well with it evidently. Anyway, I am still here and getting better but just wanted to give you a heads up on how fast things can happen when you think you are taking care of yourself. If you get time, look up symptoms of a GI bleed so you will be aware if you start having them and can take action before it gets real bad like mine did. I had no symptoms til that morning. As for my joint pain, I'm just going to limp around for awhile. Be safe and good hunting this year.
Midwest's ideas are a great way to prevent pain, and prevention is the best treatment. Once it's here, though, that can be a different issue. But he's right, and I heard a physician put it well: "Take iron for back pain." And by "iron" he meant barbells.
Easy choices hard life......Hard choices easy life.
Sheesh kyrob! Glad you're ok!
If you are dealing with long term pain, ibuprofen etc, is NOT the way, something isn't right, find out what. I lived on Advil for multiple years with bad/pain knees and was a runner and soccer referee. Years of to much and now my kidneys are not working all that great, which the doc says is irreversible! Learn muscle vs joint pain. Joint pain maybe can be alleviated with the right excercises to strengthen around the joint, but you also may have real damage. See a good ortho!
There is no simple answer that works for everybody but the basic foundation for chronic pain is "Lose weight, exercise regularly and quit smoking"
Work through it. Exercise it until the pain goes away. That's what works for me. The only time I really get pain is when I sit around doing nothing for long stretches during winter. So I don't sit around.
TrapperKyak, that worked until I turned 50, now I have to add Ibu
I am going to 2nd or 3rd Midwest's comments.
Getting into, being in, and staying in good hunting shape is 100% linked to how much extra weight I am carrying. Everything is better when you are at or close to your ideal weight. How you achieve this is an individual thing, however, for me regular workouts, start hiking early, and be careful what I put in my pie hole.
For those that hunt and fish in Canada, the diclofenac (Voltaren) gel is OTC and much cheaper up there. I think I paid like $70.00 for a tube of it here (way more with the visit to get the prescription) and got some up there at Walmart for $11.00. Not that I'd ever take it back to the U.S. with me...
Around here anyone that’s old and stoved up uses...Hemp oil. Some of these guys are in their mid seventies and riding horses in the mountains again....
a body in motion stays in motion I'm 49 next month or so Tuesday I woke up to awful lower back spasm's .... made me sick to my stomach. For 24 hours I lay in bed for the most part. Wednesday morning I felt better, ate something for the first time in 36 hours and then sucked it up and went Wed evening and played 2 hours of Racquetball
I figured it couldn't hurt any worse, it didn't, might have actually helped.
But I look at the 60+ guys and wonder how they're doing it more and more. This age thing sucks and I'm not quite 50 and I understand it better and better each day
If you have hip pain - get replacement surgery. It’s a breeze. Three years ago I had it done on Dec. 8th and was in Pasadena three weeks later for the Rose Bowl, Rose Parade & toured the “Big Stick” (USS IOWA). My hip is totally pain free and strong as a colt. Age now: 67.5.
Agree with Bob H. and Ibuprofen. Be careful. I was doing too much.... had a physical and stage 4 kidney disease... stopped Ibuprofen completely, drank more water and within a year I was back to healthy numbers...I feel lucky I caught it in time.
Take care. Mike
LOL
Well at 75 years young I've been told, "You are in your golden years" enjoy yourself !
If this is true ( G'Yrs) someone please explain to me why I'm beginning to feel like a piece of rusty tin ?
I'm almost 62. I have been been in really good cardio shape since I was in my 40's. I beat an active duty Navy SEAL in a 3 mile swim a few months ago.....and he was wearing fins! I still get sore muscles and joints depending on what I do.....being in shape isn't a cure all.......but I believe really strongly it beats the alternative.
Funny reading the different opinions. I would have to agree that allnpain is not the same. For me, when I exercise I hurt. However, I’d rather hurt than continue to get thicker. I’ve tried it all, but I’m guessing that everything from walking to running to weight lifting aggravates arthritis. My hips are the worst! I just keep rolling and take some ibuprofen when it gets real bad. I do think that Glucosamine would probably help me but holy crap it’s expensive!
Straight Arrow, that's danged impressive.
I use to use Ibrphrophen (sp) but it screwed with my stomach, now I use herbal and oils, (No not refffffer for the herbal!)
I also am on the exercise helps a lot team.
Keep things loose and mobile is always helpful toss on a little ice or heat now and then too.
#LovinLife
Robb
I retired 3 months ago just shy of 66 after a lifetime of welding, hockey, catching, and hunting.
Had left knee replaced 3 years ago, and the right's not much better. I've got "arther" fairly substantially in both shoulders and a ruptured left upper bicep tendon.
Basically, I'm paying the price for a lifetime of hard, physical labor and pretty destructive sports...if I could turn back the clock, I wouldn't change a thing! Lol.
Like others, the first moments out of bed are a bit of a challenge, but I'm OK. I do weight training every other day with lighter resistance...I'm not training for the NFL, just for the rest of my life.
Go ahead and laugh, but I play a LOT of golf. I've regained tons of flexibility, and it helps keep the joints oiled up...the more I move, the better I feel.
Advil was known as "Weld shop vitamin A", but I've fought off ulcers twice...I now use sparingly.
Dumb question of the day: How is hemp oil used? I've read and heard nothing but good about it, and am interested.
rallison, swallow it in gelatin caps.You can get different types of cb oils,ie some have a little thc in them, but others are straight cbcs, at 66 if you havent toked then just go for the pure cbc.I personally go for organic over chemical anyday.
rallison, Nothing funny about golf PT. We were designed to move so keep on movin'. The worst thing a body can do is retire and "lay up." :)
If you have hip pain - get replacement surgery. It’s a breeze. Three years ago I had it done on Dec. 8th and was in Pasadena three weeks later for the Rose Bowl, Rose Parade & toured the “Big Stick” (USS IOWA). My hip is totally pain free and strong as a colt. Age now: 67.5.
"Do something that sucks every day and you'll reap the rewards for years"!
^^^^ This is gold!
Bigdog21 watch your kidney function when using Meloxicam! Many can take it without complications. Some not. It is an NSAID, and like all others, can do potential harm if not monitored. There is individual tolerance with NSAIDs. Just have your Doc check your kidney function after using for a while.
I work out year round Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with weights. Tuesday and Thursday I walk cross country one and a half miles with my weight vest on ( start out in April with 42 lb. and end in September with 68 lbs.). Saturday and Sunday I rest. My body loves me for what I do on Saturday and Sunday but when September rolls around and I am in Colorado and/or Montana elk hunting my body loves me for what I did Monday through Friday. I do agree with "Midwest's" post.
Any recommendations for severe nerve pain?
Everyone’s body is different with this aging thing. Everyone cannot Be marathon runners at 60. Some have done more than others and some body reacts differently over time. The Army is making huge changes to try not to break people. I have friends who are former Delta operators and best ranger winners who are getting knee and hip replacement surgery at 50. All miles are not equal. Get in shape is always good but as you age injury prevention should be the goal. It would boggle your mind how even 5 pounds puts an ernormous amount of pressure when multiplied over distance per step.
Splitlimb13, I have a spinal cord stimulator to combat the nerve pain in my legs from a bad back. Was just prescribed Gabapentin and that also seems to help some. It's a medication mainly for diabetes neuropathy but works on most other causes of nerve pain.
Ron, I have neuropathy in the front half of my feet but have not been prescribed anything. To what degree do you have it? Wondering if I need it or just tolerate it. I know I always have to pack a snack along when hunting or hiking in case of a sugar low.
My neuropathy involves approximately 75% of my left leg, 25% of my right and lately pretty much all of both feet. The SCS (stimulator) wasn't really working on my feet, that's why the recent prescription. It's pretty new but seems to have helped so far.
